Online Casino Games Bill Still Undetermined in New Jersey

Online casino game legislation is still being determined in the state of New Jersey after a Senate committee approved revisions to the bill, but an Assembly committee failed to vote after the hearing. Senator Ray Lesniak is the sponsor of the bill that would allow citizens in the state of New Jersey to access top online casino sites and play online casino games with others in the state.

New Jersey lawmakers approved bills last year that would have legalized online casino games, but Governor Chris Christie vetoed the measures after citing “legal and constitutional concerns.”

Christie’s concerns were later put to rest as the Department of Justice clarified the federal Wire Act of 1961, explaining that it only applied to illegal online sports betting.In regards to online poker, Governor Christie declared in a statement the following week, “New Jersey should be in that business.” Christie expressed his desire to work with Senator Lesniak, to move things forward.

In a statement in follow-up to the Senate committee’s decision, Governor Christie said that that he was waiting to consult his Attorney General’s office on whether NJ citizens would have to vote on the issue in a referendum before he would sign an online casino games bill.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli, vice chairman of the Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee, stated that the committee was split along “two tracks,” depending on the need for a referendum. He went on to say, “We want to establish a clear legislative record to see if we need to go to the voters.” The committee will meet again in the coming days to hear about the state Constitution from a legal expert.